I got a fixer upper and bought a 2002 IS300 with lots of rattles, squealing, and an OILY oil pan.

My question is the oil pan itself looks like I can remove it fairly easily (but the bolts in the rear may be a challenge).
When looking closer, I see this oil pan looks like it's in 2 parts and there is another 1/2 above and it looks like the oil is leaking from the top part.

Is this 2nd part easy to remove? Can I simply get a gasket for both pans or do I really need to use RTV as a gasket?

 

Its a bit tougher to remove the 2nd part of the oil pan but it is possible. Only use silicone. Using a gasket will most likely cause leakage again.

 

Yea, when we removed the lower oil pan, we decided not to bother with the top part.
SURE was fun jacking up the engine to remove the bolts in the rear part of the pan!

Next on the list is to replace the timing belt and oil seals.

 

I recently did this job on my '02. The rear main had evidence of leakage as well.

I removed trans, supported the engine with under-hoist jackstands - one on the A/C compressor and the other on a bellhousing bolt screwed into the rear of the block. I also used a couple tie-downs; one running from the exhaust manifold over to the drivers side of the core support, and the other from the intake manifold to the passenger side core support. This way the engine was prevented from rolling.

I took the shocks loose from the shock towers, disconnected the steering shaft, power steering lines, unbolted engine mounts and lowered the crossmember. Then it was just a matter of removing the sump, the oil pickup tube and then the aluminum "bed plate" portion of the pan.

Cleaned everything up carefully, replaced the oil pickup tube O-ring (a must), and used the black Toyota FIPG rtv product.

Not a fun job, but not "terrible". Can't imagine doing it without a hoist, however...